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The Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge, which will take place both nights on the eastern end of the race circuit – turns 9, 10 and 11 – will feature 16 of the sport’s top cars and drivers.

Friday’s action will include practice and qualifying runs, while Saturday will see the teams compete for a $25,000 prize purse. On Sunday, the Super Drift Challenge cars will drift the entire race circuit after the featured IndyCar Series race.

Grand Prix fans that purchase any admission ticket for Friday or Saturday racing activities will be able to see that night’s Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge. Seating for the Super Drift Challenge will be in Grandstands 16, 18, 24, 25 and 26 on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Last year’s Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge made history as the first night racing in the history of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Matt Powers took the victory after a close-fought Finals match with top seed Michael Essa, to the delight of more than 10,000 spectators.

In addition to the Motegi Racing Super Drift Challenge, the 2013 Grand Prix will again be headlined by the IndyCar Series. Also featured will be the Tequila Patrón TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Pirelli World Challenge and more races to be announced.

Race weekend’s festival of family entertainment includes free Friday and Saturday night concerts and the Lifestyle Expo featuring a huge Family Fun Zone with racing simulators, kids’ racing cars, computer games and action sports. Also in the Expo will be the ever-growing Green Power Prix-View, featuring the latest in environmentally conscious products for the car and home. Add to that multiple driver autograph sessions, special events and exhibits highlighting the Grand Prix’s 40 years, the popular Food Truck Experience and Sunday’s Mothers Exotic Car Paddock, it’s a weekend that will be packed full of activity.

Ticket prices for the three-day event range from $28 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $135 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, IndyCar Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of Hospitality Club packages.

Fans can select and pay for their 2014 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach seats, parking and paddock passes online at gplb.com. Ticket orders can also be placed by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 82-SPEED. A printed ticket brochure that includes a circuit map, ticket prices, order form and other information can be obtained by calling the hotline.

Formula DRIFT teams will drift for the first time during a WTCC weekend on September 6-8, 2013 at Sonoma Raceway adding to the long list of appearances for the Series during national and international motorsport events. This will also be the first time in 3 years that Formula DRIFT professional vehicles will return to the venue. Drivers from the Series to participate include Michael Essa, Toshiki Yoshioka, Pat Mordaunt and past Formula DRIFT pro Ryuji Miki.

See full press release below

Yokohama Tire Corporation’s Formula Drift Team To Perform Drift Exhibitions
during the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Race Weekend at Sonoma
Raceway, September 6-8 Cars will be drifting on will on Yokohama’s new ADVAN
NeovaR AD08 R tires

FULLERTON, CA. – (September 3, 2013) – Yokohama Tire Corporation’s (YTC)
Formula Drift Team will show off the new Advan Neova AD08R in special
demonstrations during the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC),
September 6-8 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California.

“It should feature some high-speed drifting action,” said Matt Johnson,
Yokohama performance marketing supervisor. “This is a great opportunity to
showcase drifting and Yokohama tires to WTCC fans. This is the only WTCC
race this season in the U.S. and the highly competitive global series also
features Yokohama tires.”

“Another treat for fans is a special appearance by Ryuji Miki, a former D1
Grand Prix drift champion and Formula D competitor,” said Johnson. “Miki is
flying in from Japan to pilot the A’pexi Lexus SC430 during some of the
demonstrations. He is also competing on AD08 R tires with a Nissan S15
Silvia in Japan’s D1GP series.”

The Yokohama drifting demonstrations will take place at 9 a.m., 12:15 p.m.
and 3:45 p.m. on Friday, September 6; 9:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on
Saturday, September 7; and 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Sunday,
September 8.

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing
arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global
manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a
network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire
Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete
product line includes tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger
car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction
applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line,
visit www.yokohamatire.com.

Yokohama is a strong supporter of the tire care and safety guidelines
established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the National Highway
Transportation and Safety Administration. Details can be found at the “Tire
Safety” section at www.yokohamatire.com.

Two new teams will join the Yokohama family in 2013 – the GSR Autosport BMW E46 piloted by Michael Essa, and the GTNET Tomei Powered Subaru BRZ driven by Toshiki Yoshioka. The Apex-I Lexus SC430 returns from 2012 with Pat Mordaunt behind the wheel.

“Yoshioka is a veteran drift competitor who started with Yokohama in the D1 Grand Prix in Japan during 2003 and is back with Yokohama to contend for podiums once again,” said Johnson. “He is a past Formula D winner, and will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the third consecutive year.”

Nick Richards, president of GSR Autosport, said, “we have a long history with Yokohama tires that comes from years of running a broad array of road-racing programs. Yokohama has a well-earned reputation of winning at the highest levels of motorsport, and as the level of competition continues to rise in drifting, partnering with the best is critical to fielding a winning team.”

“We have a variety of marketing programs,” said Fred Koplin, YTC director of marketing communications, “from sports sponsorships to television, but Formula Drift gives us exposure to a passionate audience of young enthusiasts that may not see a lot of other marketing initiatives.”

Yokohama Tire Corporation is the North American manufacturing and marketing arm of Tokyo, Japan-based The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., a global manufacturing and sales company of premium tires since 1917. Servicing a network of more than 4,500 points of sale in the U.S., Yokohama Tire Corporation is a leader in technology and innovation. The company’s complete product line includes the all-new AVID Ascend®– the first mass-market tire using Yokohama’s breakthrough orange oil technology – as well as tires for high-performance, light truck, passenger car, commercial truck and bus, and off-the-road mining and construction applications. For more information on Yokohama’s extensive product line, visit www.yokohamatire.com.